History of the UELAC

In general, any history, whether it be oral or written, is lost if it is not made available to others. The history of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada is no different.

Leading up to 2014 when the UELAC prepared to
celebrate its 100th anniversary as a national
association, a project to publish a history of the
Association was undertaken. That culminated in the book
Loyally Yours -- 100 Years of The UELAC. Details of the book along with ordering instructions are available here.

Several years prior to the centenary, in 1997, the Dominion Historian, Elizabeth Richardson UE with the assistance of Arnold W. Nethercott UE, prepared An Historical Outline of The United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada. The history which follows is based on that document, although a great amount of complementary and supportive detail has been added since.

In the 1960s, the UELAC decided to pursue armorial bearings. An official request was made by by E. John Chard, UE, in 1969. With the assistance of Sir Conrad Swan, York Herald of Arms-in-Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen, a formal application was made and accepted. Design work commenced and the Armorial Bearings were granted by Royal Authority through the legal instrument known as Letters Patent, dated 28 March 1972.